Alive
by Zerojackson
Summary: Even after taking up the mantle of the Kazekage, Gaara still feels as though he is not truly alive. After discovering a plot close to his heart, will a certain blonde haired boy from Konoha stop Gaara from tipping over the edge, or will the Shukaku rip through it's binds and crush all those around him? NaruGaara.


**Hello Everyone! Today, I, Zerojackson, am brining you a one-shot. It is entitled Alive, and is a NaruGaara. This was written on the fly as per a challenge for my forum/community Naruto: The Way of the Griffin. I do apologize if it is not amazingly good, but it is to the best of my abilities in the short half an hour I was allowed to write it in.**

**So, without further ado, I bring you, Alive.**

A lone hawk circled around the top of a very tall tower, its sharp eyes gleaming with hunger. As it swooped and dived, finally catching its prey of a dove in its sharp talons, dove away from said tower and into the winding streets of the Sand village.

And, atop that tower, he was watching.

With his light green eyes that surveyed the landscape of brown and muddy yellow. The light gusts that carried sand throughout the city and onto the scurrying townsfolk, trying to live out their daily lives.

The sun was golden, glowing and bestowing warmth and light upon all who dare live under its embrace. But, the people of the sand didn't mind the constant heat and dust that billowed up to scratch at their eyes and snuff their noses. The thick robes and billowing hoods concealed their tanned faces, and also the sneers they directed at one another.

With his crimson red hair ablaze, Gaara of the Desert came to a conclusion. These shinobi weren't like _him._

They weren't human, they were tools. His father had told him numerous times, that a shinobi could only be a weapon. They must crush out all feelings of love, and replace with hate. They must tear to shreds the kindness in their hearts, and replace it with cold hard logic and pure desire for war. They must replace the horror of slaughtering an entire town of children, and replace it with the simple fact that it was their duty.

Gaara's hands gripped the rail tighter, his already pale knuckles whitening.

Becoming Kazekage of Suna was meant to change all that. He was meant to bring peace, and love, and earn their respect. But, although he earned their respect, his father's words still held fast in their hearts.

They refused to change. They were tools, nothing more, nothing less. They weren't like him. They weren't like the Leaf Village.

Even now, Gaara could spot some of them from way up here, in his tall tower. The lazy one, sat atop the small building, watching the sky. And the blonde girl curled into him, her head resting on his chest, and his hand stroking her hair lovingly. Then there was the excitable one. Lee, he recalled. The one who ran around the village with the kunochi on his back, the one his sister had beaten during the Chunnin exams.

The sheer thought of those dreadful weeks brought how close he was to death. How close he was to ending so many lives. And dealing out so much suffering. But _he_ had stopped that.

As if by coincidence, Kankuro opened the balcony doors. Gaara's face turned into a thick scowl. He knew what his brother was trying to do, trying to manipulate him. He wanted the title of Kazekage. He wouldn't get it.

"Gaara-sama," Kankuro bowed. "Naruto Uzumaki Is here to see you."

Gaara took a long look at the cloudless sky, before uttering. "Send him in."

Kankuro nodded, and went to walk out, but the uncorking of a gourd silenced him.

"Kankuro… you are under arrest for treason against your village."

Gaara turned around, the sand from his gourd twisting and turning around the crimson haired boy. "Your punishment. Death."

The sands struck like a viper, wrapping themselves around the puppet nin's legs. He didn't even have time to send chakra to his fingers. Two loud snaps echoed through the tower, along with Kankuro's scream of pain. The sand slowly worked its way up from the legs, every once in a while cracking a bone or a rib.

The sands swirled faster, and Gaara's expression turned demonic. Another loud crack as Kankuro felt his spine snap.

"Gaara!"

The call jolted the boy. The Shukaku, it was coming out. It would destroy the village. He couldn't.

The sands had let the caller through. A flash of bright blonde hair, before a shoulder knocked Gaara backwards. The wind was knocked out of him, and he fell backwards against the concrete with a thud. Two arms wrapped around his back, and a fierce expression met his.

"Let him go Gaara!"

The Kazekage of Suna blinked, before the sands around Kankuro subsided. They eventually returned to the gourd from whence they came. Kankuro whimpered insensately, before Temari ran through the balcony doors.

He took one look at Kankuro, and one look at Gaara and the blonde boy pinning him down, and nodded.

"Kankuro, you are under arrest. Guards, take him to the dungeon. Leave him to me."

Two ANBU members appeared from nowhere, scooped up the broken and battered body of the puppet bastard, and poofed away in a swirl of dust.

Temari once again looked in Gaara's direction.

"Naruto." She greeted the blonde boy. Said nin stood upwards, and extended his hand down towards Gaara, who took it hesitantly.

"Temari. Could you leave us a moment."

The sandy haired girl nodded, and walked back into the office and out the door.

The two holders of some of the most powerful beasts in existence stood together, on that balcony, silently. They watched the sun, it's golden rays now becoming orange as it set. The sandy yellow colour soon becoming a dark brown.

"He was plotting my assassination." Gaara answered the un-asked question. Naruto nodded. It was rare for him not to say something for such long periods of time, and Gaara was getting worried.

Naruto, however, soon spoke up. "Why?"

"Because… I don't know." Gaara answered truthfully. The low gust of wind blew them both backwards slightly, but they both had such tight grips on the rail, that they barely moved at all. The crimson haired nin's eyes dropped downwards, onto the great sprawling desert city below. "They're not like the leaf."

"You can change them."

"Can I?"

Naruto frowned at Gaara's words. "Yes, you can. You're the Kazekage now."

Gaara nodded. "Still, they may not listen." Naruto could see the hidden meaning behind those words. He was worried people would treat him as the holder of the one tails. A monster, now tyrant that would rule the hidden village with an iron fist. But the holder of the nine tails knew better.

"Gaara. I walked through that city. People adore you. Any who don't are quickly shot down. Those shitty ways that your father brought in a going down. And you can change them, believe it!"

Gaara couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face. This was the Naruto he was friends with. That he loved. But, he knew in his heart they would never- they couldn't.

Yashamaru had once told him that the pain in his chest was missing love. He knew what that meant more than ever.

Naruto noticed his friend's sad expression, and frowned. "What's wrong now Mr Grumpy?"

"It's nothing," Gaara answered turning away.

Naruto, however, grabbed him by the arm. "It's something."

The crimson haired nin turned to face the blonde. His light green eyes staring longingly into cerulean ones. "Nothing that can happen."

Naruto smiled softly. "Maybe it can."

And ever so slowly, their lips touched. Gaara had never felt something so fulfilling, so wondrous. The feeling of the blonde's soft lips on his own, the warmth of his touch against his skin. The way Naruto wrapped his arms around the crimson haired boy's neck. This was love.

To say Gaara was in a state of shock was certainly something that most had ever seen. As Naruto pulled away, the crimson blush that adorned the crimson haired nin was so bright it could blind. "I-I…" Gaara couldn't find words. But, he did know one thing. He had found it. The feeling.

Naruto, however, was not in a complete sense of shock, but was rather embarrassed as you could tell by the rather sharp red blush that adorned his cheeks.. "S-sorry." He stuttered. "I've been trying to tell you that for a while. I'm not a good kisser though, b-but I read some of the Pervy Sage's book while I was away, and-"

Naruto was silenced as he was pulled into Gaara's chest, and his warm embrace. Slowly, the crimson haired Kazekage brought his lips to Naruto's hair, and let out a silent whisper. "It was perfect."

And so, they stayed, wrapped in each other's arms, the backdrop of Suna's sunset painted perfectly. This, Gaara decided, was what it felt like to live.

**I do love Happy endings. I do hope you enjoyed, please review if you would like. I should also mention the link to the forum is on my page, and the community is exactly the same name as the forum. Please check it out and Pm either me or Dosu2Dinner if you would like to join.**

**Have a fantastic morning/afternoon/evening/night! **


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